


Heart of the World

by Pixie_Queen24 (FallenAngel69)



Category: American Idol RPF
Genre: Community: cookleta, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Male Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-03-26
Packaged: 2019-12-18 12:31:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18249899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallenAngel69/pseuds/Pixie_Queen24
Summary: A bunch of ficlets thrown together to create the story of Cook's & Archie's romance. :)





	Heart of the World

**Author's Note:**

> From 2012: So every now and then I listen to music and a lyric just catches my attention and I'm suddenly inventing a Cookleta fic in my head. Well, yesterday, it seemed like every Lady Antebellum song I listened to was inspiring me. That is how this fic came about. It was written rather quickly and I haven't had anyone beta it,so hopefully there aren't too many mistakes and you all enjoy.

** HEART OF THE WORLD **

_ “If oil is the soul of the engine / And wine is the drink of the Gods / Forgiveness the road to redemption / Faith can still beat the odds / We're meant to be baby hold on to me / You'll never not be my **guy** / 'Cause love is the heart of the world” _

  
** We Owned the Night **

_ “ **He** was the purest beauty / But not the common kind / **He** had a way about **him** / That made you feel alive / And for a moment / We made the world stand still / Yeah, we owned the night”  _

♪♫♪

Standing on the stage that night David felt like he was on top of the world. He'd just won one of the biggest music competitions in reality TV's history, and he'd done it along side of an extraordinary seventeen-year-old that he had come to call one of his best friends.

If he was being completely honest, he was still trying to figure out why he was the one wearing the crown. He had long since conceded to the notion that if it came down to them, Archie would, without a doubt, be the champion. There was a moment, when Ryan said his name, that he was paralyzed. The shock had temporarily rendered him immobile, but as soon as he could, he turned to his opponent and pulled him into a tight hug. 

"I love you," he'd whispered. He meant it too. Archie had somehow wormed his way into David's heart and without meaning to, became one of the most important people in his life.

He'd kept Archie close as he sang that incredibly cheesy coronation song. In David's eyes, Archie deserved the victory just as much, and he wasn’t about to allow him to fade into the background.

Afterwards, they were both hauled off to various interviews and an after party to celebrate the closing of yet another unforgettable--perhaps the most unforgettable--season of Idol. It wasn't until the wee hours of the morning that they finally had a chance to talk.

Somehow they'd both managed to slip away from the party and find much needed solace in a small lounge behind the ballroom where the party was being held. "How are you holding up?" David asked, knowing that being up so late wasn't Archie's thing. 

"I'm doing alright. Haven't really had time to be tired." Archie laughed as he sat down on the sofa next to David.

"I know, right?" David chuckled, leaning back and rubbing his tired eyes. 

"How about you?" Archie had turned sideways so he could look directly at David. "You doing ok?"

"Yeah. It's crazy though." David dropped his hands in his lap and sighed as he looked at Archie. His eyes, despite the fatigue, were shining with pride. 

"I hope you're enjoying yourself," Archie said. "This is your night."

"This is our night, Arch." David argued. "You deserve this just as much as I do--hell you probably deserve it more."

Even though Archie disagreed whole-heartedly, he didn't argue. David wouldn’t hear it. They'd already been over it before they even knew who had won. Archie smiled, glad that it was David who had shared the top two spots with him. He wasn't sure anyone else would be so humble. "We should probably get back to the party."

"Yeah," David agreed although he would have been perfectly happy staying in that quiet little room chatting with Archie for the rest of night. "How long do you think it would take someone to miss us?"

"Not long enough, I'm sure."

As they both stood, David grabbed Archie's arm and gave him a serious look. "You know I've meant every word I've said tonight, right?"

A slow blush crept into Archie's cheeks and he nodded. "Yeah, I know. Me too."

A blinding smile lit up David's face and any sign that he was worn out disappeared. "Alright then. Let's go show 'em what a couple of winners look like."

  
** Stars Tonight **

_ “And we're screamin’ out yeah, yeah, yeah / And everybody's singing out yeah, yeah, yeah / Get on your feet if it feels good / If it feels right / We're all stars tonight” _

♪♫♪

Making his way back to the center of the stage, David grabbed his latest prop: a bouquet of flowers this time. Archie was going to end up hurting him before the tour was over, but he didn’t care. It was fun. If nothing else, it gave him something to look forward to after his set besides that awful song they’d been forced to close with every night. After tour, he was sure he wouldn’t care if he never heard it again. 

Just as planned, when he and Archie made it to the end of the catwalk, David went down on one knee and held the bouquet out to Archie.  It took a moment for Archie to take them, but once he did, David could barely stifle his laughter. Then in a totally unexpected move, Archie swatted David with the flowers. That caused David to lose it and he stood up laughing. However, he caught onto the awkwardness of the moment, and he took a second to be embarrassed before glaring playfully at Archie and yanking the flowers away from him. 

“Flowers?” Michael teased once they were backstage. “Nice touch, lover boy.”

David sent him a warning glare before looking around the room to make sure no one else had joined them yet. He breathed a little easier once he realized the others were just arriving. 

“You have gotta stop doing that to me!” Archie scolded, but for some reason his tone didn’t seem to convincing. 

“Aw, come on, Archie,” David gave him a playful grin. “You know you love it.”

A slow blush crept into Archie’s cheeks and he looked away for a second while he thought of a response. “It wasn’t very nice of you to take them back.”

David’s eyes grew wide. “Oh! Oh, and it was nice of you to—to hit me with them?”

Archie only shrugged and headed for the exit, smiling brightly when David caught up to him and threw an arm around his shoulders. 

  
** Just a Kiss  **

_ “Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight / Just a touch of the fire burning so bright / No I don't want to mess this thing up / I don't want to push too far / Just a shot in the dark that you just might / Be the one I've been waiting for my whole life / So baby I'm alright, with just a kiss goodnight” _

♪♫♪

It had been a wonderful first date, even though David had been hit on by their waitress numerous times and Archie had a hard time hiding his distaste. David found it quite amusing and even encouraged her behavior just so he could watch Archie send her icy glares.

“You’re too cute,” David had told him while they finished their main course. “You have nothing to worry about though. I’m not at all interested in her.”

“I don’t think she knows that.”

“Want me to tell her?” David was only half-joking when he asked, and the look on Archie’s face was priceless. 

“Oh my gosh, no! That would be rude.”

“Yeah, you’re right. She might do something to our dessert too.” 

When David dropped Archie off at his L.A. apartment, he walked with him to the door. Taking Archie’s hand when they reached his door, David grinned. “I had a wonderful evening, Arch.”

A slow smile formed on Archie’s lips and he nodded. “Me too. Thanks for taking me out.”

With a soft chuckle, David shrugged. “Thank you for going with me. I’m still reeling from the fact that you finally agreed to it.”

“You were really persistent,” Archie replied, casting his eyes downward.

“I knew you’d eventually cave,” David told him. 

“I should have said yes a long time ago,” Archie mused.

“I get it, Archie.” David didn’t see the point in standing there listening to Archie once again tell him all the reasons why they couldn’t date. Even when Archie finally admitted that he felt something other than friendship towards David, he wouldn’t do anything about it. He had too many things playing against him. It took David almost a year after that to convince him that they should go out.

_ ~*~*~ _

_ “Cook, I’ve never gone on a date before!” Archie screeched. “All I’ve ever done was hang out with friends. It’s never been a one on one thing. I wouldn’t even know how to act.” _

_ “There is nothing to it,” David tried to explain. “It’s just dinner.”He hadn’t missed the look of apprehension that briefly crossed Archie’s face. “I promise. We’ll enjoy a meal together, I’ll take you home, and we’ll say goodnight. I’m not trying to pressure you into anything, Archie. I just want to try this.” _

_ “That’s it?” _

_ “I swear.” _

_ ~*~*~ _

“So,” Archie chewed nervously on his lower lip, wondering if there was where they were supposed to say goodnight. “What now?”

An amused smirk slowly formed on David’s lips and he reached up with one hand to touch Archie’s cheek. “I guess this is goodnight.” But David couldn’t bring himself to step away. The way Archie was staring at him, eyes wide with wonder and innocence and... 

“Are you at least going to kiss me?”

  
** Our Kind of Love **

_ “You wear your smile like a summer sky / Just shining down on me and you / I swear your heart is a free bird / On a lazy Sunday afternoon” _

♪♫♪

“Nice acting,” Archie commented as they traveled back to their hotel rooms after the first interview in Manila. When they saw each other at the interview, David had made a big scene over their reunion and, of course, everyone had ate it up. 

“Would you have rather I jumped you right there?” David asked, lifting a brow.

“I’m sure that would have been quite a scene,” Archie said with a laugh. “So what else do you have planned for tonight?”

“I was hoping we could spend some time together.”

“I like that idea,” Archie informed him as he scooted closer to him, glad for the privacy glass in the car. “What do you want to do?”

David looked at Archie, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “How about a movie?”

“That sounds good,” Archie replied, laying his head on David’s shoulder and looking down as he grabbed his boyfriend’s hand. 

“In the hotel room, of course. I don’t even want to think about going out.”

“Me neither,” Archie murmured while toying with David’s fingers. 

“We could make out—a lot.”

At that, Archie lifted his head and looked at David, smiling when he saw the mischievousness in David’s eyes. “We don’t have to wait to get back to the hotel for that.”

“Really?”

“Mm hmm.” Archie shifted so that he was face to face with David.

“Wow, that was pretty easy. Maybe I should have set my sights a little higher,” David teased as his arms snaked around Archie’s waist.

Archie chuckled. “Hmm, don’t push it,” He whispered just before leaning in to close the gap between their lips.

  
** All We’d Ever Need **

_ “Boy it's been all this time / And I can't get you off my mind / And nobody knows it but me” _

♪♫♪

Andy sat at his keyboard in a little studio located in Calabasas, watching David record the song that they’d go written with Neal only days earlier. He sighed, sending Neal a worried look. “Do you think he’s really ok?”

Neal shrugged, “I think he will be. This shit is cathartic to him.”

A few moments later, David exited the recording booth, looking expectantly at both of his friends. “What did you think?”

“Are you trying to depress your fans?” Andy asked, only half kidding. 

David ignored him and looked to Neal for a serious response.

“It was good, man. You up for a break?”

David agreed to a break, but declined going to lunch with the band. “I think I’m just going to hang around here for a while. Do some writing or something.” He was glad when no one argued. It had been a rather miserable day for him and he wanted to sulk.

_ ~*~*~ _

_ “Babe?” David asked upon waking to find his boyfriend sitting on the edge of the bed, watching him. “Everything ok?” _

_ Archie didn’t respond right away. He only sniffled softly and wiped his eyes with the sleeve of the grey hoodie that was a few sizes too big for him. That was enough of an answer for David and before Archie could speak, David had moved next to him and was hugging him tightly.  _

_ “What’s wrong, Archie?” _

_ “I don’t think I can do this anymore,” Archie sobbed, letting his tears fall freely onto David’s bare shoulder.  _

_ “Do what?” David asked, his stomach knotting with dread. “What are you talking about?” _

_ “Us.” _

_ ~*~*~ _

David was shaken from his thoughts when Monty shut the door none too lightly. “Jesus, Monty. Scare the hell out of somebody, why don’t you?”

“Sorry, man. I forgot that you were still here.”

“Why aren’t you at lunch?”

“Why aren’t you?” Monty sat down on the bench next to David and crossed his arms on the table in front of them. He looked at David, expecting an answer of some sort. When he didn’t get one, Monty glanced at the note book lying on the table along with an array of photographs. “You know, staring at his pictures isn’t going to ease your pain and it certainly isn’t going to bring him back to you.”

David tossed his pencil down and heaved a sigh. “Inspiration.”

“You alright, Dave?”

“I just keep wondering if there was something I could have done differently,” David told him although his eyes never left the pile of pictures. “I don’t even know where I screwed up. I thought we had a pretty good thing, ya know?”

“The boy had a conflict of interest, Dave. I really don’t think there was anything you could do to change his mind.” Monty had known David for a long time, and he’d never seen him so heartbroken before. He wished there was something he could do or say to make things better, but unfortunately all he could do was offer honest advice and a shoulder to cry on. “His relationship with God and the Church is a powerful thing. You can’t really compete with that.”

  
** Somewhere Love Remains **

_ “Through the fire and rain / Somehow somewhere / I know through all this pain / Somehow somewhere love remains” _

♪♫♪

He hadn’t planned on being there, but Archie had called him two days before and asked him to come. He’d almost declined, but there was something in Archie’s voice that made him rethink that idea. 

It had been months since he’d last talked to the younger man. They were both in New York doing a charity thing. It was the same night that Archie had dropped the bomb on him. Actually, it wasn’t really a bomb. It was more like a firecracker. He should have seen it coming should have expected it. 

After the way he’d reacted, he wasn’t really expecting Archie to ever speak to him again let alone invite him to his farewell bash. He hadn’t meant half of what he’d said that night in November. He was in the middle of a tour that, despite his accommodating attitude, was wearing him out. Moreover, he’d barely slept the night before because he was up in arms about seeing Archie again after so long. 

“Can we talk?” Archie asked once the party had began to settle and guest were making their way out the door. “I feel like I have so much to tell you; to explain things.”

Though he felt a bit of apprehension, David told Archie that they could talk. He followed Archie out of the room and back the hallway to his bedroom. Once they were inside, Archie closed the door and walked over to the bed to sit down. David remained planted in his spot next to the door. 

“Come on, Cook.” Archie patted the bed next to him. “I promise not to bite.”

After a moment of thought and being unable to ignore the pleading look in Archie’s eyes, David finally gave in and sat down. “You sure this is a good idea? I mean, you still have guests out there; wouldn’t want them to get the wrong idea.”

“Don’t be a jerk,” Archie said, his tone not much more than a whisper.

David’s first instinct was to defend himself, but he bit his tongue. The least he could do was be gracious. After all, Archie could have left without so much as a word. And as much as it pained David to admit it, that would have hurt. A lot. 

“I know you still have feelings for me,” Archie said while staring at the wall in front of him. 

“It’s not like I could just flip a switch,” David replied, trying to mask the venom in his voice. He could have denied it, but Archie was too smart for that. He could read David like a book.

“I know,” Archie continued, his voice still low and somber. “Sometimes I wish it were that easy.”

David sat there for a moment, just mulling over Archie’s words and their meaning. He was about to ask him what in the hell that was supposed to mean, but Archie didn’t give him a chance. 

“Before you say anything, hear me out." Archie paused for a moment, waiting to see if David had any objections. When the older man did no more than stare at him with a dumbfounded expression on his face, Archie went on. “No matter what happens in the next couple of years, I need you to know that I still love you. I’ve never stopped.” He held up a hand, noticing David’s mouth open to speak. “Just listen.”

“Fine,” David conceded though his heart was already hammering in his chest. 

“You must know that breaking up with you was hard on me too. I didn’t want to do it, but I didn’t feel like I had a choice. Everything was falling apart in my world—even you knew that. I spent a lot of time afterwards thinking and praying about my decision and wondering if it was the right one. Eventually, the opportunity to do the mission presented it’s self and I saw a way to make peace.”

David watched Archie’s hands move around animatedly as he talked. He couldn’t believe the eloquence Archie was displaying. It was so far from the awkward, rambling that he’d been used to. 

“I have to do this for me, Cook. I need answers and to figure out what I’m going to do with the rest of my life and who I want to spend it with.”

That last part caught David’s attention and he lifted a curious eyebrow at Archie. 

Archie didn’t miss the change in David’s expression, but he ignored it. “I’m sorry for everything, Cook. I know I hurt you, and I don’t deserve your forgiveness…”

“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

Caught off guard by David’s quoting of First Corinthians, Archie stared at him.

“There was never a question of whether I would forgive you, Arch, even though this whole ordeal has hurt like hell and brought out the worst in me.” David sighed, bowing his head in frustration. “I still don’t understand it all, but it hasn’t stopped me from loving you. I guess in the end, I just want you to be happy. If not being with me is what…”

“That’s not what makes me happy,” Archie interrupted, but offered no further explanation. 

“Well… whatever, the point is you’re forgiven,” David assured him.

  
** Dancin’ Away With My Heart **

_ “I haven't seen you in ages / Sometimes I find myself / Wondering where you are / For me you'll always be 18 / And beautiful and dancin' away with my heart” _

♪♫♪

Upon Archie request, David accompanied Archie and his entire family to the airport, but he made sure to stay in the background; just lingering around while everyone said their goodbyes. He watched Archie laugh and cry with his family for what seemed like hours as they took picture after picture, no doubt wanting to document this monumental moment for Archie—for Archie’s kids.

Although he didn’t want to acknowledge it, or even thing about it, really, David knew that this was the last time he would see this Archie. When he came back in two years, nothing would be the same. He would be at peace with himself and with God and eventually he would find a lovely young wife and settle down. David’s heart ached at the thought, but he sucked it up. There was nothing he could do about it; nothing he wanted to do about it. It was Archie’s life; and if Archie felt so strongly about it then there must be a good reason. Who was he to argue?

As the final boarding call echoed through the airport, Archie finally walked up to him and smiled endearingly. “So this is it?” David asked, putting on a brave face. 

Archie nodded, blinking back the threat of tears as he looked into David’s eyes. 

David didn’t trust his voice at that moment, so he simply pulled Archie into a crushing hug. 

“Thank you for coming,” Archie gushed, his voice cracking in the process. 

“I love you.” 

“I know. I love you, too.” Archie pressed a discreet kiss to David’s cheek and pulled away, knowing that if he didn’t soon, he might not ever.  They’d already promised not to say goodbye, so with a final squeeze of David’s hand, Archie forced a smile and turned to leave.

David finally allowed his emotions to take hold of him as he watched Archie walk away. He watched through tear-filled eyes as Archie disappeared through the terminal, knowing that it might be the last time he’d ever see him. 

  
** Ready to Love Again **

_ “Seems like I was walking in the wrong direction / I barely recognize my own reflection, no / Scared of love but scared of life alone” _

♪♫♪

David cursed under his breath as he ran up the steps that led from the basement. Whoever was at the door was being incredibly persistent and that irritated him. He’d been in the perfect writing groove and the last thing he wanted was an interruption. It was probably someone selling something or other. He couldn’t have been more wrong.

Pulling the door open, David stopped in his tracks. Seeing who was standing on his doorstep made him lose his breath and his heart nearly stopped. 

“Hey, Cook.”

“Holy shit…” That was the only words that came to his mind and he hadn’t exactly meant to say them out loud. “Um, I mean, Archie! What—when did you get back?”

“Just flew into KCI about an hour ago.”

David’s eyes grew a little wider, if that were even possible. “No, I meant back to the States.”

Archie laughed, lightly and shrugged. “About an hour ago.”

That bit of information left David dumbfounded, but he shook it off when Archie asked him if he was going to be invited in. “Yes. Damn. Sorry…”

“It’s ok. I guess I should have called—or something. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

The writing session that he’d been in briefly crossed David’s mind, but he decided that it wasn’t really that important after all. “No. Nothing, I’m just really… confused? Why are you here instead of in Utah?”

“Well,” Archie shoved his hands into the pockets of his black slacks. “I… This might take a while. Can we sit?”

David rolled his eyes and cursed himself for not having better manners. “Yes! Of course. I’m sorry. Would you like something to drink?”

Archie was about to decline, but David was already heading towards the kitchen so he just smiled and followed. 

“All I have is water and beer, so… water?” He turned around and stumbled slightly backwards, surprised by Archie’s close proximity. “Uh…”

“Water is fine, Cook.”

“Great,” David handed Archie a bottle of water, praying desperately that the trembling he felt inside wasn’t visible on the outside. “Sit?”

Archie nodded and took a seat at the table while David took the one across from him. “So…”

“I’ve been really rude,” David interrupted as he willed himself to calm the hell down. “The shock of seeing you again seems to have scared my manners away.”

“It’s ok,” Archie assured him. “How have you been?”

“I’ve been alright. Staying busy. How was your mission?” David took a moment to study Archie. Despite the two years that had passed, he hadn’t changed all that much. 

“Enlightening,” Archie told him while picking at the label on the water bottle that he had yet to open. “I definitely found what I was looking for.”

“Well, I guess that’s good, right?”

Archie chewed on his lower lip, wondering if he could just cut right to the chase and tell David why he was there or if he should wait. “We can catch up later. First, there’s something I need to tell you. Do you remember what I told you right before I got on the plane?”

David nodded. “Yeah. I remember. Wasn’t that one of the reasons you decided to go do the mission?”

“Not exactly. I didn’t go hoping for that to change, and it hasn’t.”

“But I thought…”

“Loving you never felt wrong to me, Cook, but asking you to wait for me while I sorted through my own issues did. I couldn’t ask that of you.”

David blinked, feeling his emotions rising up in his throat. “You know I would have,” he said.

“I know. That’s why I didn’t ask. I didn’t want you to put your life on hold. You didn’t deserve that kind of burden.” 

“Don’t you get it, Archie? What I felt for you—what I’ve always felt for you was enough to make me want to wait for you. It wouldn’t have been a burden.” David sighed heavily and decided that yapping about what could have been or should have been wasn’t getting them anywhere. “But that doesn’t matter, Arch. It doesn’t matter because even though you didn’t ask me to, I did. I held out hope that by some miracle, you’d come back to me, and I waited.” 

 

♪♫♪♫♪♫♪

♪♫♪  _“Oh, and hope is the soul of the dreamer / And heaven is the home of my God / It only takes one true believer / To believe you can still beat the odds / We're meant to be baby hold onto me / You'll never not be my **guy** (I'll never not be your **guy** ) / 'Cause love is the heart, love is the heart / Love is the heart of the world”_ ♪♫♪

**Author's Note:**

> I do not know or own either of the Davids, this is just my wild, twisted imagination at work....deal with it. Yeah, there is a longer disclaimer that I should add but until then, don't sue me. I have nothing anyways.


End file.
